Supporting Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Sierra Leone {SEED-SL} is a non-for-profit and non-governmental organization formed in 2009 to create economic partnerships with the poor, through innovative assistance for entrepreneurship - including direct micro-credit loans in form of equipments and materials(eg: sewing machines) as well as simple business training to Sierra Leonean war affected victims.

SEED-SL is driven by the hope of a better world and inspired by the vision of a society where all people can live independently in justice, good health and peace. We believe that by our activities we can turn that hope into action.

Our target communities are in the southern and eastern regions of Sierra Leone.

It all started when Mohamed Salia at age 14, lent his money for school books ($50) to a widow to re-start a petty trading business, on the condition that she returned the money within two months so that he can buy his text books at the beginning of term, without his father noticing. She started selling cakes again and paid back the money in time. With increased profits she bought another bag of flour to sell even more cakes to feed her family.

At 17 he lent 500 Euros from his friend in Germany for six war affected widows to start up their business enterprises. Today they are economically empowered and sustainable.

Now, at 22, he wants to do more. So together with his team, they have set up the organization SEED-SL to economically empower Sierra Leonean widows and ex-combatant youths to become self-reliant.

Poor women are as gifted with entrepreneurial and creative skills as anybody else, but have often been underemployed for lack of access to lands and other productive resources. SEED SIERRA LEONE believes by providing small loans to assist them in exploring and developing their skills and engaging in productive micro enterprises, micro credit can generate employment, income and contributes to national development goals.

Today SEED SIERRA LEONE is making the dream of many like Aminata Kallon {war affected widow} come true. With $ 200 US dollars micro credit loan from the organization, she has started her formal business (selling cook rice) and with the profit earned she has been able to send her two boys back to school.

Young people always faced the problem of securing loans from banks because they have no collateral to support their applications.

SEED SIERRA LEONE believes it is about time that we are talking about youth and entrepreneurship to change this situation. By placing some special funds only accessible by young people and their parents/guidances being guarantors. For young people of course soft loans could be the best option.

Thomas Samba is 30 years old with two kids. He dropped out of school after the death of his father during the war. At the end of the war he had to take over as his family's main breadwinner by starting a micro business at an early age. Thomas sells stationary and has used previous loans from SEED SIERRA LEONE to buy more products and developed his business.

With the income from his stationary business, he is able to take care of his kids, wife, mother, and pay his younger sisters' school fees. The previous loans also improved his family's status and standard of living. With future support available Thomas would like to expand his business.

Together we can make the dreams of Thomas to expand his business come true!

SEED Sierra Leone constructed a tap for the orphan (who lost their parents during the ten year Sierra Leonean civil war) in Serabu Village the Eastern Sierra Leone

Rice planting project

Rice planting project was carried out by SEED Sierra Leone with support from its members. Five acres of land were used for the planting of rice. The project was a civil hood support project launched for the Kenema community in the eastern province of Sierra Leone.

Map of Sierra Leone

The Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea in the northeast, Liberia in the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean in the southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of 71,740 km2 (27,699 sq mi) and has a population estimated at 6.4 million. The country has a tropical climate, with a diverse environment ranging from savannah to rainforests.

Dear Friends!
My name is Mohamed Salia, 22 years old. I was born in Sierra Leone, a small country on the west coast of Africa. Sierra Leone experienced a ten year civil war that disorganized and claimed the lives of many innocent people. My experience in the war left a picture in my memory which later on, as I grew up, motivated me to put an end to violence and injustice. I dream of a world where all Sierra Leoneans can achieve justice and prosperity.

I can still remember the beginning of the war, although I was only 10. One night, our village was attacked by rebels. My father grabbed me from my sleeping mat, carried me on his shoulders, and ran into the dark bush behind our house. I was still feeling sleepy as he struggled through sticks and stones, running into the jungle. All I could feel was the cool wind and people shouting from a distance. He was running very fast. We bumped into a tree and fell to the floor. I felt a sharp pain on my left arm: it had broken. But there was no time for crying. My father grabbed me again and continued to run.

My mum and sister had also escaped with other families. We found each other again after two months. For two years we lived in the bush, surviving on fruits and small animals we could hunt. After a few months, food started to run scarce and at night we had to risk going back to our village in search of provisions. It was in one of these nights that we were attacked. My sister was captured, raped and killed.

The situation in our region became worse and my father took me to the capital. He was afraid that some of my childhood friends who had become rebels would forcefully conscript me. We became refugees and found shelter at the national stadium together with thousands of other war victims, sleeping on the floor, yearning for a life of peace. While at the stadium, two remarkable things happened which later marked the turning point in my life.

When I was 14 years old, two months before school re-opened, my father gave me 50 dollars to buy my text books. Three days later, my friend told me that his mother, a widow, had not cooked dinner for about a week because she had no money. They used to live from selling cakes, but the business had collapsed. While he was explaining, I remembered my text book money. The next day, I went to my friend's mother and explained that I wish to lend her the money to re-start her cake business. There was only one condition: she should return the money within two months, so that I could buy my text books without my father noticing. She started selling cakes again and exactly after two months she paid back the money. With the raised profits she bought another bag of flour to sell even more cakes.

Around the same time, my childhood friend Abdulia was captured by rebels and his family was killed. For many years I did not see or hear from him. At the end of Sierra Leone's disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process for rebels (DDR), I met Abdulia again. Happy to see each other, he told me about his experiences as a child solider. He told me that the government had stopped supporting the rebels after they were disarmed. Hence he could not continue his education, although he really wanted to. This was shocking news to me, knowing how brilliant he used to be in school. I wished I had the money to support him.

My encounter with the widow and the conversation with my long-lost childhood friend stimulated me to put an end to injustice, to do something for my country and my people. Therefore, together with my team we had set up the SEED SIERRA LEONE to create economic partnerships with war affected Sierra Leonean's, through innovative assistance for entrepreneurship - including direct micro-credit loans coupled with skill training for other community development projects, thereby contributing to Sierra Leone national development.